Adobe has announced it will discontinue its 2D animation software Adobe Animate in March 2026, a move the company says reflects changing technology priorities as it increases its focus on artificial intelligence-driven products.
Animate Shutdown Timeline
In an update posted Monday on its support site and in emails sent to customers, Adobe said Adobe Animate will be discontinued on March 1, 2026.
Enterprise customers will continue to receive technical support until March 1, 2029, while all other users will have support through March 2026. Adobe said the extended enterprise timeline is intended to help larger customers transition away from the product.
User Reaction And Concerns
The announcement prompted strong reactions from Animate users, many of whom expressed frustration and concern about the lack of direct alternatives. On social media platform X, some users urged Adobe to open source the software rather than abandon it, while others said Animate was a primary reason they subscribed to Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
Commentary following the announcement included complaints that discontinuing Animate could disrupt professional workflows and independent animation projects that rely on its specific feature set.
Adobe’s Rationale
In a frequently asked questions document, Adobe said Animate had existed for more than 25 years and had “served its purpose well for creating, nurturing, and developing the animation ecosystem.”
The company said that as technologies evolve, new platforms and paradigms now better serve user needs, adding that it plans to discontinue Animate in response to those shifts. Adobe did not directly reference AI in the FAQ, but the company has been expanding its AI investments across other products.
Limited Replacement Options
Adobe acknowledged that it does not offer a single product that fully replaces Animate’s functionality. Instead, the company said customers with a Creative Cloud Pro plan can use other Adobe tools to replicate parts of Animate’s features.
It cited Adobe After Effects for complex keyframe animation using its Puppet tool, and Adobe Express for simpler animation effects applied to photos, videos, text, and shapes.
Signals Ahead Of The Decision
Some users said the decision was not entirely unexpected. Animate was absent from Adobe’s annual Adobe Max conference, and no 2025 version of the software was released.
Adobe said the software will continue to function for users who already have it installed, even after support ends.
Pricing And Alternatives
Adobe Animate was typically priced at $34.49 per month, with a discounted rate of $22.99 per month on a 12-month commitment. An annual prepaid plan was available for $263.88.
Following the announcement, users have begun recommending third-party animation tools as alternatives, including Moho Animation and Toon Boom Harmony.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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